KIEV, May 30 – Ukraine hopes to achieve economic growth by the end of the year, despite the weakening of external markets, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said.

"The Ukrainian economy is experiencing significant difficulties that, first and foremost, are related to the weakening of our international partners, including the European Union, since the recession in the EU affects our trade - it is falling. Slower growth in Asia also affects our traditional markets. We hope to remedy the situation and achieve economic growth by the end of the year," he said at a meeting with Vice President of the European Parliament Jacek Protasiewicz in Kiev on Thursday.

Protasiewicz, in turn, thanked Azarov for supporting the mission of former European Parliament President Pat Cox and former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski.